My Engagement Story

A year ago I got the surprise of a lifetime and my best friend asked me to marry him. Graham and I had been dating for nearly 6 years, so I may have had some high expectations and wow, did he blow me out of the water! The day was absolutely perfect, from a morning of shopping with my besties, to a surprise phone call from my London-living BFF, to a thoughtful scavenger hunt around the cities that ended with Graham, dressed up, smiling, and down on one knee, waiting for me in front of the altar at St. Rose of Lima Catholic Church. St. Rose is where we met as Kindergarteners, grew up together, and is where we would exchange our vows a year later. From start to finish, it was an incredible and memorable day.

Let's flash forward, now that we're jumping into 2018 it's crazy to look back at what the past year has brought us and taught us. What a year of getting engaged, planning a wedding, leaving jobs, starting jobs, raising a puppy into a large puppy, getting married and moving into our very own (rental) home. For the first time, in basically our entire relationship, we get to live in the same city! This first 2 months of marriage have been magical, but I'm so grateful for the journey to this point. So, without further ado, a little #throwback to where our journey toward to marriage began, December 19, 2016.

The clues included a phone call with a "clue" from my bestie (and later, bridesmaid) living in London, a pitstop at my parents with a note from my sister (and dog), a liquor store for a celebratory bottle of wine, and back to where he got the ring.

Traveling around the Twin Cities finally brought me back to Roseville, to the church we grew up going to for school and church. The lights were low, it was quiet in the church and just one light on at the altar where Graham stood waiting for me.

And as if all of this wasn't enough, we drove a few blocks to his parents house for a party with all of our closest friends and family there to surprise me and celebrate! Cake and champagne, what else could you ask for!?

Flash forward to almost a year later- October 21, 2017- To a wedding in the same spot but now surrounded by family and friends and dressed in our best attire!